The present invention generally relates to a reinforced shoe heel and methods for manufacturing shoes incorporating the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reinforced high-heel that includes a support that may be formed into the shape of any alphanumeric character or symbol and an integral angled support platform that cooperates with an angled support plate and pair of internally placed support rods to enhance the strength, alignment, stability, and support of the high-heel shoe.
High-heel shoes are a type of shoe where the heel is positioned at an elevated position relative to the location of the toe. In some cases, the elevation can be several inches (e.g., commonly referred to as two-inch or three-inch high-heel shoes). Accordingly, while high-heel shoes may protect the foot from the ground to improve walking efficiency, elevating the heel off the ground increases the height of the wearer and may accentuate their calf muscles and create the general appearance of a longer leg. In this respect, there are many types of high-heels on the market, many of which vary in shape, size, color combination, material, and/or style. For example, high-heel styles may include the stiletto, wedge, kitten heel, cone heel, and spool heel. Each style may serve different applications depending on the social and/or cultural context of use. As an example, the fashion industry is in a continuous cycle of creating new fashion trends and apparel designs, which naturally include high-heel shoe designs. New and/or unique designs may stand out, make fashion statements, change fashion trends, and/or simply help the fashion designer sell more apparel. To this end, there have been few changes and/or improvements to the general structure of traditional high-heel shoe designs over the years.
In general, most high-heel shoes share the same general construction. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art high-heel shoe 40 that includes a lining 42 stitched or otherwise attached to an internally located insole 44 designed to provide cushioned support for the foot of the wearer. An upwardly presented opening 46 formed from the lining 42 may cooperate with the lining 42 and the insole 44 to form an enclosure for selectively receiving and retaining the foot of a wearer during use. More specifically with respect to the construction of the prior art high-heel shoe 40 illustrated in FIG. 1, the lining 42 forms a front toe box 48 positioned above a generally horizontally located and relatively cushioned base 50 that supports the pad of the wearer's foot. The platform may include an outer outsole 52 having a relatively rigid construction to reduce wear thereon as the outsole 52 interfaces with a ground 54. A heel 56 generally positions a heel section 58 of the prior art high-heel shoe 40 formed by the lining 42 and the insole 44 in an elevated position as illustrated in FIG. 1. As such, the generally horizontally positioned base 50 bends upwardly into a shank 60 that terminates into the heel section 58 approximately immediately above the supportive heel 56. As is known in the art, the heel 56 is in the form of a single straight post that tapers downwardly from the heel section 58 and terminates in a relatively rigid bottom piece 62 designed to interface with the ground 54 similar to the outsole 52. The heel 56 (and the corresponding bottom piece 62) supports the heel section 58 in the elevated position relative to the toe box 48 and/or the base 50. As such, when worn, the heel 56 elevates the wearer's heel to an elevated position relative to the ground 54 to attain the benefits mentioned above. Although, over the years, there have been few variations in the construction of the prior art high-heel shoe 40, and especially with respect to the single straight tapered post that forms the heel 56. Moreover, the single straight tapered post design of the heel 56 can also be undesirably unstable or wobbly.
Nearly half of the women in the United States wear high-heel shoes. But, wearing high-heel shoes may cause foot pain and other postural problems because the wearer's body weight may be distributed unevenly, thus placing excess stress on the ball of the foot and the forefoot. The American Podiatric Medical Association (“APMA”) conducted a survey indicating that 71 percent of women who wear high-heel shoes found that high-heel shoes hurt their fee. More specifically, The Journal Of Musculoskeletel Medicine identified that “shoes that have inadequate cushioning and arch support and shoes that do not flex well under the heel of the foot are all culprits of heel pain”. Since most high-heel shoes have inadequate cushioning and arch support, it comes as no surprise that 71 percent of wearers identify foot pain with high-heel shoes. In fact, high-heel shoe wearers are typically at higher risk of getting plantar fasciitis. Furthermore, Jayne Snyder, PT, MA, and member of the American Physical Therapy Association has said, “centering the body's weight on the ball of the foot instead of distributing it over the entire sole while shoving the toes into a narrow toe box may feel stylish, but it will likely cause posture problems and a host of other difficulties. Simply put, heels cause the neck and back to hyperextend, which causes the body to compensate by flexing and bending the spine and the hips forward. It is a constant balancing act. The muscles of the legs flex and while the curved contours of a woman's leg may look attractive, hours of this exaggerated flexing will cause fatigue.”
As such, there exists, therefore, a need in the art for a high-heel shoe that includes a reinforced shoe heel having a support in the form of one of a plurality of alphanumeric characters or symbols and an integral angled platform having a relatively rigid support plate imbedded thereon and a pair of stabilizing rods integrated therewith to provide enhanced stability and support. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.